WEBVTT GUILTY OF MURDER. THE TWO DES MOINES MEN CONVICTED OF ROBBING MIKE WASIKE IN 2013 TODAY PLEADED GUILTY TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN WASIKE’S DEATH. KCCI’S HANNAH HILYARD SHOWS US WHY THIS PLEA WON’T ADD ANY TIME TO THEIR PRISON SENTENCE. REPORTER: THE TWO YOUNG MEN WERE ORIGINALLY CONVICTED OF ROBBERY UNTIL LAST YEAR, ONE THE VICTIM DIED FROM THE INJURIES HE SUFFERED DURING THE CRIME. THE STATE IMMEDIATELY CHARGED THEM WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND TODAY THEY PLEADED GUILTY TO MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE. JUST 15 AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME, TERRANCE CHEEKS A LESHAUN MURRAY WERE BEFORE A JUDGE FRIDAY AS YOUNG MEN. THEY ADMITTED TO ROBBING AND BEATING MIKE WASIKE. >> THIS CRIME, THIS OFFENSE WAS EXTREMELY SERIOUS. REPORTER: IT’S THIS OFFENSE, THAT LEFT WASIKE WITH SIGNIFICANT BRAIN DAMAGE, AND EVENTUALLY KILLED HIM FIVE YEARS LATER. AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO THE NEW CHARGE, THE TWO MEN BOTH ASKED TO BE SENTENCED RIGHT AWAY. THE JUDGE HANDED DOWN THE RECOMMENDED SENTENCE OF 50 YEARS IN PRISON, THAT WILL BE SERVED AT THE SAME TIME AS THEIR 50 YEAR ROBBERY SENTENCE. WASIKE’S WIFE, WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE FRIDAY’S HEARING. >>>> SHE WAS AWARE AND WITH -- IN AGREEMENT WITH THE RECOMMENDATION. REPORTER: THE FAMILY DID SUBMIT A FAMILY IMPACT STATEMENT. CHEEKS OPTED NOT TO SPEAK. MURRAY, HOWEVER, DID. >> I JUST WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR MY ACTIONS THAT I COMMITTED FEBRUARY 26, 2013. I JUST WISH TO BE FORGIVEN REPORTER: IN DES MOINES, HANNAH HILYARD, KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. STACEY: BOTH CHEEKS AND MURRAY WILL RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THE TIME THEY’VE BEEN SERVING IN PRISO A THIRD P

Two Des Moines men admitted in court today they are responsible for the death of Mike Wasike.

Terrance Cheeks and LeShaun Murray pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2013 robbery and assault in which Wasike was fatally injured.

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Cheeks said in court Friday that he participated in the 2013 robbery.

"I stepped in front of the vehicle, so Mike Wasike would stop," Cheeks said.

His co-defendant, Murray, admitted to hitting the victim with a gun.

Wasike suffered significant brain damage in the incident. He died of his injuries in 2018.

His wife was unable to make Friday's hearing. Instead, she sent a written victim impact statement that the judge called "powerful."

"All three of you are the reason that no matter how big the occasion is in our lives, we will never feel all of its glory because the person we want to share it with is 8,000 miles away and six feet under," the victim statement read.

Following each plea hearing, the two young men asked to be immediately sentenced.

Cheeks' opted not to speak before being sentenced, but Murray asked for forgiveness.

"I just want to apologize for my actions that I committed Feb. 26, 2013," Murray said.

The judge sentenced Cheeks and Murray to 50 years in prison, to be served at the same time as their previous 50-year sentence for robbery.